Benjamin O. Davis Jr., son of the first black general officer in the U.S. Army, becomes the first black general officer in the U.S. Air Force. He retires Jan. 31, 1970, as a lieutenant general, and is advanced to general on Dec. 9, 1998, by President Bill Clinton.
Seven F-22 Raptor pilots have recently been awarded one of the military’s highest decorations for their actions during operations in the Middle East. Six of the pilots were decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.